Spring Hill man to plead guilty to threatening Brown-Waite

BROOKSVILLE — The man who admitted to leaving a threatening voice mail for U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite in March will plead guilty to one count of threatening to assault or murder a U.S. official, records show.

According to an agreement filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Erik Lawrence Pidrman, 66, of Spring Hill, could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of probation.

As part of the plea, prosecutors agreed not to oppose Pidrman's request for a sentence "at the low end of the applicable guideline range."

When Pidrman was arrested April 18, he told authorities he did not remember leaving the March 25 message at Brown-Waite's Brooksville office. The message: "Just wanna let you know I have 27 people that are going to make sure that this b---- does not live to see her next term. Goodbye."

But when Pidrman heard the recording, he acknowledged it was his voice. Pidrman said he was on a drinking binge at the time and sometimes doesn't remember what he has done when he has had too much to drink.

In later conversations with agents, records show, Pidrman said that at the time he was probably thinking other "poor bastards" in Congress who had supported health care reform had been receiving threats and that he likely thought, "Let me scare one of those righties."

The FBI and the Hernando County Sheriff's Office used telephone records to track down Pidrman and noted from his record that he had had brushes with the law, including arrests and convictions for driving under the influence and disorderly intoxication, as well as traffic violations.

Pidrman was taken into custody without incident at his home at 10449 Claymore St. During his first appearance in court on April 19, the judge ordered electronic monitoring, a mental health evaluation and treatment, abstinence from alcohol, and no contact with Brown-Waite or firearms or destructive devices.

Brown-Waite's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Tony Marrero can be reached at (352) 848-1431 or tmarrero@sptimes.com.